


All I Want For Christmas (is you)

by JoMo3



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-09-29 14:10:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17204831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoMo3/pseuds/JoMo3
Summary: Mall Santas. The “real” Santa. Last-minute gifts. Ugly sweaters. Mistletoe. Just another Christmas in Hawkins.





	1. Chapter 1

It is a cold and brisk afternoon when the boys finally get to Starcourt Mall. The seemingly nonstop snowfall of the past few days had kept them at home. Thankfully this morning the weather had relented, and after Mrs. Sinclair had agreed to take them, the group made their way to Starcourt. She dropped them off with a promise to pick them up in two hours.

“Tell me again,” Dustin began as the group entered the crowded mall, “Why you waited until  _ today _ to get Max’s gift?”

“She never told me what she wanted,” Lucas explained.

“And she just told you now?”

“No, not really,” Lucas said. “But her board broke last week and she’s been upset about it. Besides, I’m not the only one who forgot a gift.”

Dustin side-eyed Will, who threw his hands up. “My mom is super hard to shop for,” he said. 

The group paused. “Okay,” Mike said. “Here’s our plan of attack. Lucas and Dustin go find Max’s gift. Me and Will will go to Sears for his mom. Meet back here in 30 minutes, then hit up the arcade until it’s time to leave?”

They all agreed and went their separate ways. 

 

Lucas and Dustin walked quickly through the traffic of shoppers towards the sporting goods store at the other side of the mall.

“I wish there wasn’t so many damn people,” Lucas said, squeezing behind a man.

“Uh, it’s Christmas Eve, dude; what’d you expect?” Dustin asked. “Hey, look,” he called, pausing for a minute. Lucas stopped, too, to see what he was talking about: the “North Pole” setup in the middle of the mall. There were about a dozen parents in line with impatient-looking children.

“Mike said Nancy was working,” Dustin said. “Want to go see?”

“I thought we were getting a skateboard?” Lucas said.

“Come on, it’ll only take a minute.”

Lucas began to argue, but Dustin was already making his way over.

 

“I don’t see it,” Will said as he and Mike walked around the women’s department in Sears.

“It’s a robe, right? Just ask them where they sell robes,” Mike suggested.

“You’re right,” Will said, looking for an employee. Then, teasing, added “Maybe I can ask Santa for it.”

“Still with that?” Mike asked.

 

_ A few weeks ago… _

 

The group was sitting in Mike’s basement in early December. A light snow had fallen that morning, blanketing the town of Hawkins in a thin layer of snow. As a result, five now-empty cups of hot chocolate were spread around the area where they currently relaxed as low Christmas music played from the radio. There was Dustin and Will, who sat at the game table. Will sketched quietly while Dustin flipped through a comic book. On the couch were Lucas and Max, who were talking quietly about something. And in the fort, Mike and El sat, with Mike telling El about a gift he was hoping to get for Christmas as she sipped on her nearly-empty mug of hot cocoa.

“.....anyway, most of my gifts are usually clothes and stuff, which is boring, but I’m really hoping for a Nintendo,” he concluded.

El put her mug down. “I like clothes.”

“I do too,” he agreed, “But a Nintendo would be so much better.”

“Yeah, but they’re super expensive,” Lucas said from the couch.

“My mom already told me don’t count on one,” Dustin said.

Eleven shrugged. “Maybe Santa will bring you one.”

The room got silent for a moment, as everyone tried to gauge if she was serious or not.

“What do you mean?” Mike asked.

“Santa Claus,” El said excitedly. “I asked him for some things Hopper said cost a lot.”

“You still believe in…” Max began, before she saw Mike staring daggers at her.

“Believe in what?” Eleven asked, confused from the looks she was getting.

“Nothing,” Max said, shaking her head.

Eleven picked up her mug, as well as Mike’s next to hers. “Will your mom let us have more marshmallows?”

“She should,” Mike said, beginning to stand.

El shook her head. “I’ll ask her.” Cradling the two cups, she went upstairs.

When the door shut, Dustin closed the comic book. “She still believes in  _ Santa _ ?”

“Guys…” Mike began.

“Are you gonna be the one to tell her, Mike?” asked Lucas.

“No, and neither will you,” Mike said. “None of you will. She…” He glanced up at the still closed basement door. “She barely had a childhood. If she wants to believe in Santa, let her believe.”

“What happened to friends don’t lie?” Max asked.

The basement door opened, and they heard soft steps coming down. “This is different,” he said as El came into view, smiling and holding a bag of marshmallows.

And although they thought it strange that their 14-year old telekinetic friend believed in something like Santa Claus, the group agreed not to spoil it for her. They all knew how unfortunate El’s upbringing had been, as well as how much she’d missed out on. So if El wanted to believe in Santa, they wouldn’t ruin it for her.

 

_ Present Day _

 

“Do you think Santa’s going to get her a lot?”

Mike shook his head. “I don’t know. Hopper’s gotten her some things, I figure some of it’s going to be from Santa Claus.”

Will chuckled. “Remember last week, when we brought her down to see the mall Santa, and Nancy almost spoiled it?”

“Thank God we stopped her.” The two found an employee, and Will asked where the robes may be. They got directions and headed there. “Good thing El’s not with us today,” Mike said. “Or else Nancy may mess it up again.”

 

Nancy and Jonathan both had gotten jobs working at Starcourt’s North Pole; Jonathan took pictures of the kids on Santa’s lap while Nancy was an elf.

At the moment, Jonathan was trying not to lose his patience as a young boy named Jacob sat on Santa’s lap, crying.

“Jacob, sweetie, it’s okay,” his mother said, trying to soothe him.

Jonathan looked at the line behind them. “Um, ma’am?” he began.

The mall Santa, a man whose real name was Greg, also seemed to be getting impatient as he bounced young Jacob on his knee. “ _ Ho! Ho! Ho! _ ” he called, but Jonathan could tell from the third “ho” that Greg was ready to move on.

“I’ve got it,” Nancy said, appearing at Jonathan’s side and making her way to the boy. Kneeling down, she said “You’re scared, huh?”

Jacob nodded his head, tears still falling.

“Well, how about I sit with you? Would that make you feel better?”

He nodded his head once more.

Nancy smiled, and wiped away Jacob’s tear-stained cheeks. She knelt next to him and faced the camera. “Big smile, alright?” she whispered to Jacob.

They both smiled, and Jonathan got the picture.

“I swear,” Jonathan said minutes later, “If I get one more screaming kid I’m going to lose it.”

“Oh, come on,” she said. “It’s the last day.”

He huffed. Then, curious, asked “How’d you get him to stop crying?”

She grinned. “I told him Santa was going to take all his gifts if he didn’t stop.”

“Really?”

“No, Jonathan, I was just nice to him. You should try it sometime.”

“I’m nice…”

As Nancy brought the next kid, a little girl, up to meet Santa, Jonathan saw two familiar faces making their way through the crowd. After depositing the girl, Jonathan nodded towards them, and Nancy went over.

“Aren’t you two a little old to have your picture taken?” Nancy asked Lucas and Dustin.

“We’re just saying hi,” Lucas said.

Nancy nodded. “Is Mike with you?”

“He and Will went to get a gift for Mrs. Byers,” Dustin explained. “ _ He _ ,” he continued, nodding at his friend “forgot to get a gift for his girlfriend, so here we are.”

“I didn’t forget, she didn’t tell me,” Lucas countered.

“Well, you’d better hurry up,” Nancy said, seeing she was needed with another kid. “We close in a few hours.”

As the boys departed, and she went over to help with the photo, she let out a sigh of relief that Mike (or, more importantly,  _ El _ ) wasn’t here.

 

_ Last week… _

 

It was towards the end of her shift on a Saturday, and Nancy couldn’t wait for it to be over. The elf hat was making her head itch, several parents had been rude to her, and she’d been on her feet a lot more than she’d thought she’d be. Thankfully she had Jonathan here to make her smile. If not, she didn’t know if she would make it.

It was closing in on six o’clock, and she’d looked at the line and saw a familiar group of troublemakers: Dustin, Lucas; that redhead, Max. She saw Jonathan’s brother, Will. And bringing up the rear was her own brother, holding hands with his girlfriend Eleven, who was looking in awe at the decorations. 

Nancy made her way over, folding her arms when she got to the group. “What’re you all doing here? Aren’t you a little old to…”

“El wants to see Santa,” Mike said, interrupting. “And get a picture with him.”

Nancy had raised an eyebrow, confused. But looking at the knowing smiles on the faces of her brother’s friends, decided to go along with it.

She led them into the “workshop,” smiling at the look of wonder on Eleven’s face; it was so reminiscent of the look Holly wore when she had came here, days ago.

Eleven made her way to the man himself, Santa. Mike let go of her hand, and she walked up and took a seat in his lap.

The Santa, Brian that day, had given a look to Nancy as if to say  _ really? _ But he’d “ho ho ho’d” and began talking to the young teen.

“What’s this about?” Nancy whispered to Mike.

“El still believes in Santa,” he explained. “Please,  _ please _ don’t ruin it for her?”

“Of course not,” Nancy answered.

Brother and sister watched as El finished talking to Santa, and the two then turned to the camera and smiled as Jonathan snapped their picture.

“What did you ask for?” Max asked as the group waited for the photo.

But Eleven shook her head, saying “It’s secret.”

“Well,” Nancy said, taking the photo from Jonathan, “Good thing that’s not really Santa, then. Because…”

There was a gasp, and five pairs of eyes either looked at Nancy or Eleven.

“That’s not really Santa?” Eleven asked, confused.

“I, uh...I mean…” Nancy stammered.

“This Santa’s one of his elves,” Jonathan said. “The real Santa’s off busy getting ready. This is one of the elves from his workshop; he reports to Santa what the kids in Hawkins want.”

Eleven nodded in understanding. Mike mouthed “thank you” to Jonathan.

Since that day, Nancy had decided to keep her mouth shut around Eleven.

**____**

_ Present Day- _

 

At the Byers’ home, Eleven was with Joyce, as the two prepared Christmas cookies. The original plan, for Joyce anyway, was to have Christmas dinner tomorrow with her two boys. But she’d invited Hopper, knowing he wasn’t much of a cook and wanting Eleven to have a traditional Christmas dinner. 

After that, things had snowballed; Mike, oblivious to Joyce’s dinner, invited Eleven to have dinner with  _ his _ family, which inspired Nancy to ask her boyfriend over as well. Karen had then invited the whole Byers clan over, as well as chief Hopper (who didn’t really want to go). 

So Joyce was tasked with making cookies for the party and El had decided to help her instead of going to the mall with the boys.

“I think this batch is done,” Joyce said, taking a tray of cookies out of the oven. Placing them next to the stove, she looked at El and asked, “Can you hand me the next one?”

Eleven nodded, and carefully picked up the next batch of cookies.

“Thank you,” Joyce said, putting the new tray in the oven.

“Do the boys ever help you?” Eleven asked.

“Not anymore,” Joyce answered with a sigh. “Will used to, but I think he’s gotten too big for it. Jonathan hasn’t helped in years, he’s always working. Like  _ I _ usually am. But I’m glad you could help me.”

“Me too,” El said.

“So,” Joyce said, as the two went back to decorating the cookies, “What did you get your dad for Christmas?”

Eleven smiled, still getting used to Hopper being her “dad”. “I got him a hat,” she said.

“Ooh, that’s nice,” Joyce said. “Hop can never have too many of those. Besides, his old one’s getting kind of smelly.”

El giggled.

“What about the boys? What about  _ Mike _ ?” Joyce asked, playfully bumping Eleven, causing her to blush.

“For Will, I got crayons,” she answered. “Dustin, some pudding. Lucas, a book. Max, a tape she wanted. I got Mike new Dungeon and Dragon dice and a notebook for his campaigns.”

“Aw, he’s going to love it.”

“He wanted a new manual, but I told him Santa Claus will have to get it.”

Joyce chuckled, thinking El was joking. “Santa. I remember when Will found out he wasn’t real. He was so sad, he…” She stopped, seeing the surprised look on the young girl’s face. “What?”

“Santa’s...not real?”

Joyce’s eyes widened, as she realized her mistake. “Uh, I...I don’t know. He might be, I…”

Eleven stopped, thinking about the last few days; her friends looking at her strangely, Nancy saying that wasn’t really Santa Claus at the mall; was it all fake?

“Santa’s not real?” Eleven asked again.

“I..”

“Friends don’t lie.”

Joyce sighed. “No, sweetie, he’s not. And I’m so, so sorry that you had to find out this way.”

The front door suddenly opened, and Will and Mike came in. Will settled in the family room, a bag behind his back but Mike, of course, came straight over to El. He frowned when he saw the worried look on her face. “What is it?”

“Santa isn’t real?” she asked. Will looked over.

Mike glanced at Joyce, who was shaking her head and quietly saying “I’m sorry.”

Mike’s shoulders drooped as he let out a sigh. “No, El, he’s not. I’m sorry.”

“Why...why did you lie?”

Mike took her hand and led her to Will’s room. “I’m sorry, El. We were trying to...I don’t know, give you part of your childhood back.”

She still looked confused, so he continued. “Believing in Santa, it’s something that most kids do when they’re little. And since you never had that part of your childhood, we were trying to let you have it now.”

She blinked, processing everything he’d said. “So where do the gifts come from?”

“Huh?”

“Santa. People get gifts from Santa; where do they come from?”

“Oh. Moms and dads.”

“Why do they lie?”

“It’s not...most people don’t see it as a lie, El. I mean, technically, it  _ is _ , but it’s a way to make Christmas more magical, I guess.”

She sighed and looked down, no doubt still thinking over this revelation.

“I’m sorry I lied,” he told her.

“ s’okay,” she said,” looking up and shaking her head. “Thank you.”

He let a confused grin come to his face. “For what?”

“For...trying to give me my childhood.” She thought for a moment. “Does everyone know?”

“Well, the party knows. The grown ups know. Holly doesn’t. And Erica, Lucas’ sister? She doesn’t know yet, either.”

Eleven nodded. “When did you find out?”

Mike sighed. “Uh, I think I was, like, ten. My dad didn’t do a good job of hiding the bike Santa was going to give me.”

“And who’re the Santas in the mall?”

“They’re just people. Men dressed up like Santa to make kids happy.”

“Oh.” She thought for a moment, then asked “Can...can I keep my picture?”

“Yeah, of course, El,” he answered, nodding, recalling the photo of El and Santa Claus.

She finally smiled.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes. Kind of...embarrassed, but yes.”

But Mike shook his head. “Don’t be. Everybody finds out eventually. Lucas didn’t find out until a year and a half ago…”

Hand in hand, the two returned back to the kitchen.


	2. Chapter 2

After Joyce spent many minutes apologizing, she and El went about finishing the cookies. Will and Mike disappeared into the former’s room, where Will wrapped his mother’s gift. Jonathan and Nancy arrived just as they finished, and after Mike and Eleven said goodbye, the two Wheelers were on their way home.

“I thought you’d be begging me to give El a ride,” Nancy said to Mike as her car pulled out of the Byers driveway.

“The chief is coming to get her when he’s done,” Mike said, shaking his head. Then, turning, he eagerly asked “Did you get it?”

“Calm down, Mike,” she answered. “It’s in the backseat.”

Mike turned, his seatbelt straining against him as he reached into the backseat. He found the small bag, and pulled it up front with him, bumping Nancy’s arm in the process.

“Watch it,” she muttered as he put the bag in his lap.

“Sorry,” he said, not really paying attention to her as he opened the bag. Inside was a small plastic box. Pulling it out, he smiled as he looked at the pink watch that would be his gift to Eleven. “Thanks for picking it up,” he said.

“Yeah, of course” Nancy said. “Just don’t break it or anything.”

“No, of course not,” Mike said, shaking his head.

 

For the past few weeks Mike had been racking his brain, trying to come up with the _perfect_ gift for El. He wanted to get her something special, while at the same time memorable and sentimental. He had gone to Starcourt’s jewelry store in hopes of finding a necklace, but one look at the prices had let him know that _that_ wouldn’t be happening.

He’d then spent a few days thinking of what she liked. Eggo’s? Stuffed animals?

Then, almost out of nowhere, it had came to him-a watch.

He’d been sitting on the basement’s couch, finishing his homework when his mom had called him for dinner.

“Coming,” he’d answered. But he was focused on his last math homework, and wanted it done so after dinner he could call Eleven. Sure enough, two minutes later, his mom had called him again.

“Coming!” he’d responded in a loud and impatient tone (that ended getting him in trouble). But it reminded him of the week he’d first met El, and he had given her his watch to meet the boys at the power lines. She was getting better at telling time and reading numbers now, not saying things like “three one five” as much. And the days when Hopper let her visit, she was regularly asking what time it was. So Mike thought a watch would be both affordable and a somewhat sentimental gift for his girlfriend. He’d made sure it was pink (her favorite color). He’d also spent a big chunk of his allowance on it, making sure she got a really nice watch.

 

In the present, Nancy smiled at her brother and commented with “I think she’s really going to like it, Mike.”

“Thanks.” Spying another bag in the backseat, he asked “What’s that?”

“Jonathan’s gift.”

“What’d you get him?”

“It’s nothing, just a…a thing for his camera.”

Mike nodded. He couldn’t wait to see El’s face when he gave it to her.

**____**

 

The sun eventually set on Christmas Eve, and everyone stayed busy before going to bed. At the Wheeler’s, Karen continued what she’d been doing all day-preparing for tomorrow’s Christmas dinner. Little Holly watched “The Grinch” movie while Ted dozed in his lounger. Mike spent his time in the basement, wrapping El’s gift and preparing for something of his own. Nancy stayed in her room, wrapping presents for her family and her boyfriend.

At the Byers, Jonathan made sure he had film for his camera before turning on Bowie and wrapping a few last minute things. Will sat in his room, drawing a few things while Joyce worked on putting cookies into Tupperware.

At the Sinclair home, Erica got out cookies for Santa while Mr. & Mrs. Sinclair sat in front of the television watching “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Lucas was in his room, trying to figure out a way to gift-wrap a skateboard.

And at the Hoppers, Jim Hopper was clearing the dishes while Eleven sat on the floor of her room, Christmas music playing softly while she wrapped and rewrapped a certain gift. _It had to be perfect_.

“You know nobody cares about wrapping,” Hopper said as he appeared in her doorway. “It just gets ripped off, anyway.”

“I care,” she said.

He shrugged and turned, heading back to the kitchen. “Okay. But don’t stay up too late wrapping; or Santa may not come.”

El smiled. She’d kept the fact that she now knew the truth to herself, for now. Turning up the volume of the Christmas music with her mind, she turned her attention back to the gifts in front of her. They were the things she’d told Joyce; art supplies, pudding, a cassette tape. Next to her was Mike’s Dungeons & Dragons stuff.

 

_Three weeks ago_

 

Max and El sat in El’s bedroom, a Madonna cassette playing softly as the two girls flipped through a newspaper, searching for a movie to see when Hopper returned.

“There’s nothing good,” Eleven said, looking at all of the ads for movies playing at The Hawk or Starcourt.

“Spies Like Us?” Max asked. “I know we saw it with the boys, but I’d see it again.”

Eleven smiled; she _had_ liked the movie. “Maybe. What about this one?” She pointed at a picture, and Max leaned closer.

“Jewel of the Nile?” The redhead shrugged. “Maybe. What time’s it showing?”

“Five three zer…” El stopped, feeling herself blush. “Five thirty.”

“Spies Like Us is playing at 4:45,” Max said. “When is Hopper getting back?”

El shrugged. “Not sure.” She closed the newspaper, and an ad on the back caught her attention. Looking up with a smile, she said “Look! Santa is coming to the mall!”

Max smirked. “Oh yeah, you still...I mean yeah, he’s gonna be there.”

Eleven beamed, and folded the paper, putting it on her nightstand to remember to bring it to Hopper’s attention. “So,” she asked, “What did you get Lucas for Christmas?”

Max shook her head. “Nothing yet. I don’t know what he wants that he doesn’t already have. What about you? Did you get anything for Mike?”

“Not yet,” she answered, shaking her head.

“See, you’re lucky,” Max said. “You could give Mike a dirty sock and he’d think it was the greatest thing in the world.”

Eleven smiled. Though flattered by the comment, that didn’t help her decide what to get Mike (besides a dirty sock, which she definitely was not going to do).

It stuck with her until a few days later she was visiting the group at Mike’s. El and Max sat on the couch, while the boys were at the game table. She’d just asked the time-Hopper was due at 8-when the boys began talking about Dungeons and Dragons.

“ _Max_ ,” she’d whispered, nudging the girl with her elbow.

“What?”

“Dungeons and Dragons.”

“Yeah, what about it?”

“Mike’s gift,” she whispered. Mike looked up, hearing his name.

“What?”

“Nothing,” El said, blushing.

When Mike left to use the bathroom minutes later, Eleven had asked the boys for suggestions. They’d mentioned special dice and pointed out Mike’s crumbling campaign notebook. Then Will had spoken up with something.

“A miniature,” he’d said.

“A what?”

“A miniature. They’re these little figures of some of the characters. There’s this one Mike saw the other day, he thought was cool. Branson the Avenger. He’s a paladin, so…”

The bathroom door had opened, and Mike came out, ending the conversation.

But the next time Eleven got to leave the cabin, she’d gone with Will to the boy’s comic book store and found the figurine Will spoke of.

 

_Present Day-_

 

She looked down at the figure and smiled. She hoped Mike liked it. She began to wrap it again, fussing over how much tape she used and how she folded things. _It had to be perfect_.

**____**

 

Christmas morning came, and the residents of Hawkins awoke to a city blanketed with snow. Across town, presents were opened, wrapping paper was shredded, and homes were filled with smiles and love.

At the Hopper home, Jim and El woke up at a reasonable time, then began opening gifts. Hopper liked watching the excited look on El’s face as she opened her gifts, and she the same as he opened his. They were reminded that although there were times when they drove each other crazy, moments like this, seeing joy on the other’s faces, reminded them how much they cared for each other.

The Wheelers were up early unwrapping presents as well. Mike was over the moon when he unwrapped his Nintendo, while Holly was happy with her new dolls. Nancy loved the new tops she received; though none of the Wheeler children were happy with the slew of ugly Christmas sweaters they each got from their aunt.

Next door at the Sinclair home, nobody was happier than Erica, who not only got an Easy Bake Oven, but a Barbie Dreamhouse as well. Lucas was happy as well, getting some games, action figures, and some cassettes he wanted. After the family ate breakfast together, Lucas asked his dad for a favor, then grabbed his backpack and headed towards the door.

“Lucas, where’re you two going?” Mrs. Sinclair asked.

“Probably going to see one of his nerdy friends,” Erica muttered, brushing her new doll’s hair.

Lucas gave her a look, then turned back to his mother. “I’m going to give Max her gift,” he said. “I’ll be back in a little bit.”

His mom nodded. “Wish her a Merry Christmas.”

“I will,” he said over his shoulder as he made his way out the door behind his father.

Lucas would’ve preferred to take his bike, but the fresh snow covering the streets would’ve had him sliding all over. So he sat, nervously, on the car ride out to Max’s house.

“I don’t know what you’re worried about,” his father said, noticing Lucas’s bouncing leg. “She’s going to love that board.”

It was a black and red board, sticking out of the backpack Lucas held in his lap. Last night he’d given up trying to wrap the skateboard and decided to just stick a bow on it instead.

Eventually they arrived at the Mayfield house, and Mr. Sinclair pulled into the driveway. Putting the car in park, he looked at his son and said “Good luck. Don’t keep me waiting too long, okay?”

Lucas nodded and got out of the car. He and his family were going to visit his grandmother in the city tonight, so he’d decided to give Max the gift now. Getting to the door he rang the bell and waited anxiously. He heard voices, people arguing about getting the door, when it finally opened and Max’s mom appeared.

“Oh, hi, Lucas,” she said, wiping her hands on the apron she wore.

“Merry Christmas,” he said. “Um...can I talk to Max?”

“Of course,” she said, opening the door and moving aside. “Max!” she called. “Lucas is here for you!”

Mrs. Mayfield excused herself to the kitchen, as Lucas stayed standing in the family room. Billy sat on the couch, drinking something and looking at the television. ‘Sinclair,” he muttered.

“Billy,” Lucas said.

A door opened down the hall, and Max came down the hall and into the room. She glanced at Billy. “Give us a minute.”

He groaned, but the teen stood up and left the room. Max turned to Lucas, and finally noticed the backpack in his hand. Seeing the skateboard sticking out the top, she asked “Is that…?”

“Merry Christmas,” Lucas said, pulling the skateboard out of the bag.

She took it, and smiled as she turned it in her hands. “This is... _wow_.”

“You like it?”

She nodded. “I love it.” Holding it at her side, she closed the distance between the two of them, and, putting a hand on his cheek, kissed him. “Thank you.”

Lucas couldn’t stop smiling. “Yeah.”

“Oh! Hold on,” she said, turning and disappearing down the hall. She was back a minute later with a box that she put in his hands.

He opened it, and grinned when he saw the wrist rocket inside. “Cool. I love it, too.”

Max blushed, then ducked her head. “You’re welcome, Lucas.”

Lucas smiled and, similar to Max before him, closed the distance and kissed her.

“Merry Christmas, Stalker,” she said when they pulled apart.

“Merry Christmas, Mad Max.”

**____**

 

Soon day turned to night, and it was just about time for the Wheeler Christmas party. Joyce drove the Byers family over, while Hopper and Eleven headed over as well, El holding Mike and Will’s gifts in her lap. Max, Lucas, and Dustin’s gifts would be given later. Hopper wore a white dress shirt and a red and green tie, while El wore a dark blue dress Joyce had given her as a gift.

“Did you get everything you wanted?” Hopper asked.

Eleven nodded her head, saying “Yes.”

“Yep, Santa was pretty good this year, wasn’t he?” he asked.

El smiled mischievously. “You mean _you_?”

Hopper frowned. “What do you mean?”

“ _You’re_ Santa,” she clarified.

“What’re you talking about?”

“I know he isn’t real.”

“What do you….how…” he fumed. “Who told you? Was it Mike? Because if it was…”

“Mrs. Byers,” Eleven said. “She said it by apsament.”

“Accident,” he corrected. Shaking his head, he muttered “Joyce.”

Eleven smiled.

“You know that means some of your presents have to go back now, don’t you?” he teased.

“What? Why?” she asked, eyes widening.

“Because you lied. You didn’t tell me you knew!”

“I didn’t lie,” she said. “I just _didn’t say_.”

Hopper finally grinned, and ruffled her hair. “Smart ass.”

**____**

 

“Mike!”

“Yeah, mom?” He was in his basement, putting the finishing touches on his project.

“I need you to help your sister set up the table.”

“Alright, here I come.” Satisfied with the job he’d done, he bounded up the stairs two at a time. He found Nancy putting silverware at the dining table; today they’d added a section, extending the table so more people could fit. He grabbed the glasses, and started placing them on each placemat.

Nancy frowned. “Where’s your sweater?”

It was then that Mike noticed Nancy wearing the Christmas sweater from their mom’s sister. Mike himself wore a gray sweater.

“I didn’t feel like wearing it,” he shrugged.

“Mom’s gonna kill you,” his sister said, returning to her chore. Then, she asked, “Are you all set up in the basement?”

“Yeah,” he nodded.

“Good.”

A minute later they heard footsteps, and then their mom was standing in the doorway. “Michael, where’s your sweater?”

Nancy smirked, while Mike answered, saying “I don’t want to wear it!”

“Michael, Faith only makes it up once a year. _Please_ put it on.”

Mike rolled his eyes, and went off to find the sweater.

“I saw that!” Karen called after him.

Watching her brother go, an idea came to Nancy. Making sure Mike had gone upstairs, she snuck into the basement.

 

Minutes later, the guests began to arrive; his aunt Faith, who loved seeing her nephew and nieces in the sweaters she’d bought them. The Byers family was next, and Mike couldn’t help but laugh at the look Jonathan gave Nancy.

“What’s with the sweater?” Jonathan whispered to her.

She shook her head. “Don’t even ask.”

Mike and Will greeted each other, and sat down to talk about gifts they’d received while they waited for El and Hopper. When they did arrive, Mike took El’s coat, while Hopper shoved a fruitcake into Mike’s arms, and mumbled “Merry Christmas” before going off in search of alcohol.

“You look pretty, El,” Mike said after hanging her coat and dropping off the cake in the kitchen.

“Thank you,” she said, ducking her head. “Merry Christmas.” She touched his sweater; it was white with big blue snowflakes, red and white stripes, leaping red reindeer, and a blue MERRY CHRISTMAS! written across the middle.

Mike blushed. “Yeah, my mom’s making me wear it. I hate it.”

“I like it,” she said, touching one of the snowflakes. “Pretty.”

“That makes one person,” Will said quietly.

“Where’s everyone else?” she asked.

“Lucas went into the city to see his family; Dustin always has Christmas dinner just him and his mom, and Max is eating with her family. So it’s just us,” Mike explained. “Come on, let me show you what I got.” Taking her hand, he led she and Will up to his room.

 

On their way up the stairs, they passed Nancy who was coming back down, holding a wrapped box. Once she got downstairs, she joined Jonathan, who sat waiting in the living room.

“You’re surprisingly hard to shop for,” she said, sitting next to him. She handed him the box she held.

“Thanks.” He put the box in his lap, then turned to her. “I didn’t get you anything, I feel weird.”

She playfully punched his knee, knowing full well he’d gotten her a gift. Grinning, he handed her the small box he’d carried in his pocket. “Open it up,” she said, nodding at his gift.

He dutifully unwrapped the box, and smiled when he saw the camera strap she’d bought him. “Cool,” he said.

“Look,” she said, pointing. On the side she’d had _Jonathan Byers_ engraved. “For when you’re rich and famous.”

He laughed. “This is great, Nancy; thanks.”

She smiled, then looked to the gift he’d brought her. Unwrapping it, she felt her heart skip a beat at the tennis bracelet.

“It’s not too fancy,” he admitted. “But it’s got a couple crystals in it, and…”

“Jonathan,” she said, interrupting. “It’s beautiful.” Taking his face in her hands, she pulled him closer for a kiss.

He blushed as they pulled away. “Let me put it on.” She nodded, sticking her wrist out as he took the bracelet.

 

Dinner was soon served and the dining table was full of Wheelers, Byers, and Hoppers. Eleven loved her first “real” Christmas meal, eating plenty of ham, turkey, cranberry sauce, and stuffing. Both Mike and Hopper loved seeing her so happy to be enjoying herself (though with El, when it came to food, she would always enjoy herself). When dessert came, she loved Karen’s sweet potato pie, as well as the pudding Mike’s aunt brought. She didn’t really like the fruitcake, but she took a generous amount of Joyce’s cookies.

After the kids had stuffed themselves, El was getting Mike’s gift when she felt his hand in his.

“Come with me,” he whispered. She nodded, and followed him down into the basement. When she got there, her jaw dropped. It was reminiscent of the SnowBall, with lights dangling from the ceiling, and paper snowflakes placed around the room.

“You did all this?” she asked, looking around the room.

“Yeah,” Mike said, nervously putting his hands in his pocket. “Do you...is it alright?”

“Pretty,” she said, touching one of the paper snowflakes that hung above them.

“It took me all day,” he admitted. “The guys helped with the snowflakes. Um…” He took her hand, and led her to the fort. The two sat, and Mike pulled out a gift box that he’d stored in the fort earlier.

Eleven smiled, and traded his gift for hers. “You go,” she said, nodding at him.

“Okay,” he said. Looking the box over, he mentioned “I think this is the best wrapped gift I’ve ever seen, El,” causing her to duck her head. After pulling off the ribbon and tearing away the paper, she was happy to see his smile get bigger as he looked at the dice, notebook, and figurine she’d gotten him.

“Branson the Avenger!” he said excitedly, which was music to El’s ears. “Thanks, El!” He kissed her cheek.

She smiled, and after Mike had placed his gifts in front of him, he turned to her. She pulled apart the paper on her gift, and revealed the watch.

“It’s like yours,” she said, smiling.

“Kind of, this one is actually nicer,” he said, chuckling. “Here.” He opened it for her, and, holding her wrist, put it on. She looked at it, turning her arm just so, when Mike nervously asked, “Do you like it?”

She put her wrist down and nodded her head. “It’s perfect, Mike.”

He blushed. “Thanks. I was worried, that you wouldn’t like it.”

She shook her head, placing her head on his shoulder. “Of course I like it. It’s from you.” Looking up at him, she said “You’re all I wanted for Christmas, anyway.”

If Mike was red before, he was crimson now. “You’re all I wanted, too, El,” he said, kissing the top of her head.

They sat together for a few moments, enjoying each other’s company, until Mike asked Eleven if she wanted to dance.

“Dance?”

“Yeah. Like, um...like the Snowball?”

She nodded, and the two climbed out of the fort. Mike walked to the small radio he had and pressed ‘play.’ After a moment, the guitar strum of “Every Breath You Take” began.

El blushed as Mike made his way over. Placing his hands on her hips and while she put hers on his shoulders, they began moving to the music.

The two looked at each other as they danced, with Mike prepared to move in for a kiss when Eleven looked above them. Raising an eyebrow, she asked, “What’s that?”

Mike looked up, and was surprised to see a small plant hanging right above them-mistletoe.

_Nancy_ , he thought to himself. How had he not noticed before?

“It’s, uh...mistletoe.”

“What is it?”

“Well, it’s this thing that...when two people stand under it, they’re supposed to kiss.”

“Oh.”

Mike shook his head. “Nancy put it up there, I…”

He was cut off as El’s lips found his, and he smiled into it, kissing her back as they continued to sway to the music. When they pulled apart, she rested her head on his.

“Remind me to thank Nancy,” Mike muttered.

**____**

 

Eventually, it was time for everyone to go home. Mike and El said goodbye, as did Jonathan and Nancy, with both couples promising their significant other to meet tomorrow. Then it was home for the Byers and the Hoppers.

“Have fun?” Hopper asked El as they left Maple Street.

She nodded. “Did you?”

He shrugged. “It was alright, I guess. Where’d you and Mike go?”

Eleven yawned. “Secret.”

“I bet,” he muttered. “So what did he…”

But he stopped, when he saw that her eyes were closed, and she’d fallen asleep. He couldn’t blame her. She’d had a heck of a Christmas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays.

**Author's Note:**

> Second chapter should be up tomorrow.


End file.
